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Bonnaroo Says Kanye West’s 2008 Performance Is in the Past

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Since Kanye West’s disastrous 2008 Bonnaroo performance–you know, the one where he didn’t show up until 4:30 am, played a lackluster set and later blamed the festival organizers, Pearl Jam and everyone else but himself for his less than stellar performance–it’s been rumored that Yeezy was banned from even entering the Tennessee campgrounds where the festival is held. But last night, it was revealed that Kanye will once again be headlining the 2014 festival.

So how did that happen? In an interview with Relix, Rick Farman, a co-founder of New York-based Superfly, who promotes the festival with Knoxville, Tenn.’s AC Entertainment, said they booked Kanye again based on the same reasons they booked him the first go round.

“First and foremost, we think Kanye is one of the most prolific and groundbreaking artists of this generation,” he explained. “He’s hugely influential. His albums are as great and as acclaimed as they get. He’s also a great live performer. He takes a lot of chances and he’s adventurous with the live space. All those things are what Bonnaroo performers are about.”

And since Bonnaroo is known for its good vibes, their reason for giving Kanye a repeat try is as positive as ever.

“Everyone has moved on—it’s in the past,” Farman said. “We’re happy he wants to come back to Bonnaroo and is embracing this. It’s a great opportunity for everyone to look forward, and we think it’s a great opportunity for the Bonnaroo community to show what it’s made of. It goes back to what Bonnaroo stands for: It’s about having good time, radiating positivity and that whole message. We couldn’t be more excited about what we think has the potential to be another historic Bonnaroo moment.”